Loved ones rally for injured Marine

He suffered broken bones in Afghan blast

John Rokohl, father of injured Marine Justin Rokohl of Orange Grove, shows pictures of his son.

Videography: David Kassabian
Editing: Marissa DeLisle

Family and friends of Justin Rokohl, a U.S. Marine who suffered massive wounds to his lower body and back in Afghanistan, gathered Monday evening to pray and send their wishes at Cross Trails Cowboy Church in Orange Grove.
David Kassabian/Caller-Times

ORANGE GROVE - As Justin Rokohl entered his ninth hour of surgery in a military hospital in Germany on Monday night, more than 30 family members, friends and well-wishers gathered at his hometown church.

Rokohl, a 21-year-old lance corporal in the Marine Corps serving in southern Afghanistan, suffered numerous injuries in a roadside bomb blast that tore through his Humvee on Friday as he and his unit were delivering mail.

In the days since he was transferred to a military hospital in Germany, Rokohl's family has spoken to him several times; Rokohl's message to them was to stay strong. He broke both feet, both heels, the tibia, fibula and femur on both legs and the eighth vertebra.

With two giant get-well cards on display at the family's church, Cross Trails Cowboy Church, well-wishers wrote out their support, gathered for a group picture to send to Rokohl and prayed.

"We've got deep, deep roots here, and we're a very close-knit community," said his father, John Rokohl. "He's a local hero. He's a hometown boy, a hometown hero and you can see it -- everybody in town is talking about him right now."

Growing up, Rokohl had a natural joking, light-hearted personality and was quick to smile, his family said. He was the type of person who loved to dance, not because he was exceptionally good, but to joke around and have a good time.

Rokohl is a team roper, in high school took to track and was an all-district defensive end in football. A 2005 Orange Grove High School graduate, he joined the Marines with a plan for a career in law enforcement.

"That boy loves to fight, and he just loves his country," his father said.

After serving four years in the Marines, he planned on joining the Border Patrol, eventually with the aim of becoming the Jim Wells County sheriff.

Doctors have told the family he could return to the United States in the next few days. Details on his return depend on how well his surgery went.

A benefit fund has been established in Rokohl's name at the Value Bank in Orange Grove, and donations may be made at any ValueBank location. Funds will go toward the family's expenses when Rokohl returns to the states.

The family is hoping Rokohl will be moved to a San Antonio hospital but is anticipating that he might be sent to a hospital in Washington, D.C., family spokesman David Cole said. His parents, John and Kim, are planning to travel to wherever he returns to, and Rokohl's two younger sisters also are hoping to make the trip.

"If he's in Germany, his mother and sisters will go," John Rokohl said. "If he's in D.C., we'll have a dozen people make the trip. And we'll clear out the entire town of Orange Grove if he's in San Antonio."

On Saturday, the family and close friends made lapel ribbons for people to wear to show support and remember to pray for Rokohl. The blue ribbons, Rokohl's favorite color, were handed out at a Saturday night dance and again at church on Sunday.

"The community has stepped up to be there to help and then to give them their privacy when they need it," Cole said. "This is an outstanding community we live in."